We all have heard some conflicting things about hashtags in Instagram these days, so here is what I found and what I recommend to get the most out of your hashtags for 2022.

Straight from the horse’s mouth, Instagram recommends:

• Feed Post - 3-5 hashtags in caption or comment

• Reels - 5-7 in caption

• Stories - ZERO (hashtags are unsearchable in stories, so not worth the effort)

*So I will be focusing my tips on Feed Posts and Reels.

Hashtag Tips:

1. Use up to 30 hashtags for feed posts BUT must be relevant to the post and you must change up the amount and word use up.

2. Variety - Location, Industry, Branded (your branding-based hashtags), Descriptive, and Community Based (like “#SDMom”).

3. Use hashtags between 10k-200k to maximize your reach.

4. Double-check that your hashtags aren’t on the banned list.

5. Check what hashtags your ICA is using.

6. Make better content. Hashtags can’t save mediocre content. Think of a hashtag more like salt on a dish. Salt just enhances, but it can’t fix a garbage dish.

7. Don’t rely on or stress about hashtags! Honestly, I forget to put them half of the time, hashtags aren’t the make or break that they used to be. Think of tip #6 and focus your effort on making good content.

You may have caught that I said to use up to “30 hashtags” in tip #1 but IG recommended 3-5, well I have a theory. Hashtags just make it easier for the spambots to find and it does come across as spammy, so maybe they are hoping lower numbers bring more focus and authentic engagement.

Hashtags on Instagram’s platform work more like SEO keywords and are more searchable, not something to just use because of trending (like on TikTok). So treat them more like a search optimization.

With all that said, here’s what I think and recommend. The sweet spot hashtag-wise for me seems to be 7 to 20 hashtags of varying amounts and words. I never stick to the same. So don’t post the same number of hashtags and the same hashtags everytime, try to experiment with a varying amount or even just using IG’s suggested amount and see.

Let me know what seems to be working for you. I’m interested to hear everyone’s experiences.

Let's talk about Instagram keywords and how this NEW feature affects your content!!

But, first, what is “Instagram Keyword”? Well, it’s a new feature that makes content searchable. More like Google, you will see what people mention. Similar to Pinterest, but what makes it special is this is the very First Social Media Search Engine Platform.

Types of Search -

• Top/Recent

• Accounts (username/name)

• Hashtags

• Places/Location Tags

In the old way of IG, you could search by a Username, Hashtag, or Location Tag but the new way lets users search for content! Specifically what people mention in their posts! The flip of the coin on this though is, if you are posting Political, Medical (like COVID), or Sex related content this will not help you. In fact, between the new policies rolling out and this feature, no one is really sure how this will impact those niches. On the bright side, if you post content more like Travel based or Cat Memes this will be great for you!

You may be asking, “Okay, now how does this work?” Well, this is where your WRITTEN content will be more important. Be more focused on your content pillars and be concise with your alt text.

Make sure your Posts Always have These Things:

• Add Location (Specific vs Broad Location Tags are Better)

• Use those Hashtags! #

• Use Alt Text (this is where you describe what your image is)

• Create QUALITY Content -> On Topic, Relevant Content

• Optimize Your Bio

  Right now this really is more focused on your Feed content, like Feed Post or Reels. The data is still out on Guides and doesn’t affect Stories. So remember to focus your content. This search engine will be a game-changer for finding accounts!

Need a little Handy Graphic to Save and Remember? I gotcha covered. Just click the image and bookmark it right in your IG. ;)